The perfect Prefect
by InnocentSmile97
Summary: Tom Riddle had every Slytherin girl going weak at the knees when they saw him, and he could pick and chose who he went out with, without worrying about rejection. Or could he? What if Tom fell for someone? One-shot. First HP fic! Reviews would be lovely!


**The perfect Prefect**

Tom Riddle ran a long, skinny pale finger along the spines of the books. Many of them had fairly gruesome titles, as this was the restricted section of Hogwarts library. But still, Riddle was absorbed in finding the right book.

He was concentrating completely on the books before him that he ignored (as he did with most people) the someone coming round the corner. They too were pretty absorbed in their book.

Bang!

Tom's cold hard eyes looked up and formed slits.

"Watch where you're -" he said in an angry but controlled tone. But the girl who had bumped into him straightened up from picking up her fallen book. And Riddle saw who it was.

She had shoulder length straight hazelnut brown hair with a full fringe cut in, which framed her slim, pretty face. Tick-rimmed glasses were perched on her freckled nose. Behind them Tom could see her chocolate brown eyes. Isadora Mcqueeney.

"I'm so sorry, Tom!" she gasped as she too realised who she'd just walked into. Literally. "I should've been looking where I was going… I hope you're not hurt…"

Riddle flinched at the sound of his own name. If it had been anyone else, Riddle would've snapped at them, spun around and stalked off.

But this was Isadora. He knew what she was like. He had first met her two years ago on board the Hogwarts Express, when they were both appointed as Prefects. She was Ravenclaw's Prefect while he had been Slytherin's.

Isadora had been one of the best Prefects there. She was what Tom saw as a 'proper lady'. She was firm and fair, understanding her role and following it to the letter. She had a quiet charm too. She was also very bright (explaining her Ravenclaw house badge) and was well liked by the teachers.

It was things like this that made Tom see similarities between himself and the girl opposite him. But they had their differences too. One big one was popularity.

If it had not been that Izzy had so many friends, she probably would've been called a neek. (Muggle slang that Tom detested so much.) However, she had plenty of friends. And unlike Tom himself, they were true friends, not followers. They actually liked her, rather than feared her. It was her honest and trustworthy traits that made her popular across the houses. For that, she was very different from dark and mysterious Tom Riddle.

"No, no, it's quite alright Miss Mcqueeney."

"Oh good." said Isadora politely, with a thankful smile. Tom liked the manners that she showed. He knew that they both valued that sort of thing highly. "And you know its Izzy, Tom."

"Of course… Izzy." Riddle resisted the urge to tell her not to call him Tom.

"That's better." she said with a grin. "So what brings you to the restricted section? Transfiguration homework research as well?"

Transfiguration was Izzy's favourite subject. Although it hadn't captured Riddle's interests, he could see its uses. Because of that, he respected Izzy and her chosen area. Something he didn't give to many people.

"Oh, no. Not that. Just a potions extra project for Professor Slughorn." Riddle lied, smoothly. Izzy looked impressed.

"You really are an example to the rest of the school. No wonder you're Head Boy!" Tom felt a glow of selfish pride, although it was dashed with something else. Guilt.

Not only had he lied to Izzy, but he suddenly realised that she had just missed out on the Head Girl position because of him. No doubt she had wanted it. And no doubt she was perfect for it. But still she could praise the winner. That showed great strength in character. Tom liked this in a person.

In fact, he liked a lot of things about Izzy. She was perhaps the _only_ person he liked. All the similarities made him feel connected to her in some way. She was the closest thing he had to a friend. Even if they only had rare and brief conversations.

It was because of this that Tom Riddle had done something he had never done before. He bought her a birthday present.

In their 6th year, Riddle began noticing her more and more. He noticed that she liked porridge for breakfast. He noticed that she often tucked her hair behind her ear to keep it out of the way. He noticed that she always wrote her 'and's like '&'. He also noticed that her best quill had snapped. So he gave her a brand new one. The most luxurious one he could afford.

He had caught her in the library, on the rare occasions, like today, that she did not have a friend with her. When he gave it to her she looked shocked but recovered quickly and thanked him graciously.

It was Riddle's turn to be surprised when Izzy had slipped a small rectangular package into his hands when she spotted him about to go into the boy's loos. To this day, he had no idea how she had found out it was his birthday. He had never told anyone here, and never celebrated it. Maybe it had just been coincidence.

Tom had been further surprised when he found the package to be none other than a diary. It was a blank book, with smooth pages and had a black leather cover. On the inside of the cover was the address of a muggle stationer (Izzy said that she had bought it there when she visited London in her holiday) and also… his name.

The diary was simple yet good quality. Just the way Riddle liked it. However, he never used it as a diary. But he did make it very special indeed…

Isadora looked as though she was about to leave.

"Wait." said Riddle. It sounded like a command, but he hadn't said it as forcefully as he usually did. His cold hand brushed Izzy's soft warm one. Izzy turned.

"Yes Tom?"

There was no-one around. It was now or never.

"I was wondering whether you would like to have tea?" he said matter-of-factly.

"Why, I do like tea; but not right now thank you. Earl Grey's my favourite, if that's what you're asking... And you?"

Tom felt his cheeks colour and for a brief second, he had a normal skin tone.

"Oh, I meant whether you want to _eat_ tea… with me. In Hogsmead?"

Isadora's mouth formed a small 'o'. She looked down at the floor, pushed her glasses further up her nose and hugged the book to her chest. Finally, when she'd got over the fairly blunt invitation, she looked into Tom's eyes. Somewhere in them she saw a very faint glimmer of hope.

"I… I am truly sorry, Tom." She said in a measured tone. "But I am afraid that I already have a boyfriend. Julian. Julian Atkins."

"The muggle-born Gryffindor chaser?" spat Tom.

"Yes." Replied Izzy, quietly. "I'm so sorry… we can always go out as friends?"

"No." said Tom firmly. The hope in his eyes had gone out like a light. Possibly never to return again. He turned his precious attention away from Mcqueeney and back to the books.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Isadora turn slowly away and off to a table covered in parchment and books. At least she had the grace to look disappointed.

As for Tom, well, that was a different story. He felt the familiar burn of self-pity, hatred and longing.

He couldn't believe that of all the things to lose, he had lost a mere girl to a mudblood Gryffindor! That good-for-nothing troll! What did she see in him anyway? He knew that Julian Atkins had a reputation for being funny, but really? Isadora could do better than that! Comedians were a waste of time, space and energy. If you want funny just go and watch Gryffindor play Quidditch!

Why, for Merlin's sake, would a clever pure-blooded witch like her want a thick mudblood chaser over him, handsome and charming Tom Riddle? It was ridiculous! Tom had every Slytherin girl going weak at the knees when they saw him, and he could pick and chose who he went out with, without worrying about rejection. And yet, the only girl he had even considered, just turned him down. How ironic, Riddle thought bitterly.

He shoved a book back on the shelf. Then he turned on his heels and stalked away, with even more purpose and intimidation than usual. He strode past the librarian, who gave him a questioning look. Riddle had often charmed her into letting him take out more books, for longer but right now he didn't even give her a glance.

"She had better not tell." whispered Tom, through gritted teeth. But he knew her character well enough to know that she would never humiliate anyone like that. If she did, well, she'd get what's coming.

And as for this Julian Atkins… Tom knew exactly what he was going to do. Or more specifically, what he was going to _open_.

He already knew who his first victim would be…

~#~

First Harry Potter fic so let me know what you think! I love reviews!

I just thought it would be interesting to see a young Tom Riddle fall for a girl. And I've always wondered what the trigger in Riddle's mind to open the Chamber of Secrets was (which is what he'll open on Julian, if you didn't get that. Oh and the diary Izzy gave him later became his horcrux).

I also got a bit confused on their years… I tried to do my research, but different sources say different things! Some say Riddle was Head Boy when he opened the Chamber, which would make him in yr 7. But others say he was in his 5th year when he got the diary, made it into a horcrux AND opened the Chamber! (In which case he was very busy!)

So I didn't know what to believe and just got very confused… I went with yr 7 because it gives him time to get to know Izzy (I don't think Riddle could fall that easy) and paces the story out a bit. But I dunno! He could've been yr 5!

So apologies if it turns out that my dates are incorrect but I hope you enjoyed my one-shot all the same! Review?


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